German women's hockey squad putting in considerable effort during the semifinals of the European Championship tournament
The German women's hockey team has qualified for the semi-finals of the European Championship, following a thrilling 3-2 shoot-out victory over Belgium on Friday. The match ended 1-1 in regular time, with Germany taking an early lead through a goal by Wanner at the 3-minute mark, only for Alix Gerniers of Belgium to equalise at 51 minutes.
In the shoot-out, Germany's goalkeeper, Julia Sonntag, shone, saving three Belgian attempts to secure the victory for the German team. This was not the first time these two teams met in the semi-finals of the European Championship, as they faced off in the 2023 EM as well.
Germany's journey to the semi-finals was not without challenges. They initially appeared shaken after their 1:5 defeat against Oranje, but showed improvement in the second half of their match. Sonja Zimmermann, despite her questionable fitness due to a thigh injury, saw some playing time. However, the absence of Felicia Wiedermann, who is out with a knee injury, was a significant loss for the team.
The German team finished second in Group A of the European Championship, behind the defending champions the Netherlands. The Dutch team, coached by Janneke Schopman, will also be playing for a medal at their first tournament.
The Belgian team, who finished second in the last EM, has a better record against Germany in their recent meetings. They topped Pool B with strong results, including wins over England and Scotland and a draw against Spain. This competitive rivalry was reflected in the close match between the two teams.
The semi-finals of the European Championship will see the German team face Belgium again, with the match scheduled for 8:00 PM. The top favorites and record winners, the Netherlands, will face Spain in the other semi-final at 5:00 PM.
The German team did not create better offensive situations until after half-time, but managed to draw 0:0 against Ireland in their last group match. The Dutch team played very disciplined and earned a penalty corner in the first quarter, which was saved by goalkeeper Julia Sonntag.
This semi-final match promises to be an exciting and closely contested battle between two evenly matched teams.
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[2] EuroHockey. (n.d.). German women's hockey team qualifies for semi-finals of European Championship. Retrieved from https://eurohockey.org/news-page/news/german-womens-hockey-team-qualifies-for-semi-finals-of-european-championship/
[3] FIH. (n.d.). German women's hockey team beats Belgium in shoot-out to reach European Championship semi-finals. Retrieved from https://www.fih.ch/news/german-womens-hockey-team-beats-belgium-in-shoot-out-to-reach-european-championship-semi-finals
